How to Be More Civically Engaged This November and December

As you probably know, Drexel University employees receive 16 hours each year (equal to two full days of work) to further support Drexel’s commitment to civic engagement through the Dragon Volunteers Program. Have you spent your civic engagement leave benefit yet? There are several opportunities in November and December for you to volunteer in the community, which DrexelNow has outlined below.

And if you’ve already used your hours, there are two donation drives going through the beginning of 2019 that you can support.

Here’s how to get involved in November and December:

45th Annual Alumni Turkey Project:

Date: Dec. 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Project Description: Drexel Alumni’s 45th annual Alumni Turkey Project is a time-honored tradition in which Dragons come together to raise funds to buy a holiday meal for one local family. A gift of $25 provides one meal, and this year’s goal is to distribute 1,800 meals. You can also volunteer your time on Dec. 13 to help alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends at the Drexel Armory distribute holiday meals to community partners. 

Special Olympics Unified Sports:

Dates: Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

About the Organization: Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.  

Project Description: Special Olympics PA — Philadelphia is looking for assistance for its Bocce League Play Days. We are looking for volunteers to help between 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. You do not need any knowledge of bocce, but it helps if you do. Volunteers will arrive and help set up the bocce courts. They will then go through a brief training session, so they can effectively run their court where our athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) will be competing in throughout the morning. Finally, volunteers will help the Special Olympics staff break down the courts. 

Philadelphia Furniture Bank with Pathways to Housing PA

Date:

Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (may do full day, morning or afternoon)

Project Description: Pathways to Housing PA ends homelessness in Philadelphia for people who have been experiencing homelessness for long periods of time, sometime decades. These are people who suffer with serious mental illness, long term substance use and medical frailty, and are marginalized in many other ways. It does so using a “Housing First” model and a “Harm Reduction” approach to service. Pathways has more than an 85 percent housing retention rate with people previously thought to be non-compliant and unable to be housed by traditional systems. Pathways to Housing PA needs volunteers to help participants choose furniture, transport furniture to homes, pick up furniture from donors and do administrative work like data entry and answering the phone. Some of the jobs at the furniture bank include moving, repairing, loading or delivering furniture. Please wear clothing that you can move around in. Work gloves are recommended. If you want to donate some additional materials please feel free to bring the following items: work gloves, lamps, mirrors, black paint (for painting furniture) and brushes. 

Our Closet Pop Up Shop:

Dates:

Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Project Description: Our Closet: Powered by JFCS is a volunteer-driven, community-based organization that provides clothing to vulnerable Philadelphians free of charge by way of pop-up clothing shops in the city. Their goal is to create a dignified and welcoming space where community members can receive clothing with respect and pride. The clothing they distribute is entirely donated, and they rely on the support of volunteers to help collect and sort clothing, as well as to help run the pop-up. Our Closet has weekly pop-ups and need volunteers to come out and help run the store as sales associates.

SIGN-UP NOW FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

To register for any of these opportunities, please follow these instructions:

1. Log in to Drexel One
2. Select Employees tab
3. Select Career Pathway
4. Select Learning tab
5. Select Events Calendar to view Dragon Volunteers options. Each opportunity will be labeled “Dragon Volunteers: Event Name”
6. Request the session of your choice. Your supervisor will need to approve the request before it will appear on your Career Pathway transcript
7. Enjoy your service experience!
8. Log your hours as “Civic Engagement Time” on your time-sheet or leave report

ORGANIZE A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT

Step 1: Contact Katie Regetta, Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, at kab356@drexel.edu to obtain a current list of group opportunities.

Step 2: Determine a project that best suits your group's interests and availability.

Step 3: The opportunity will be added to Career Pathway for only your group to see.

DONATION DRIVES — SUPPORT A CAUSE THROUGH JAN. 7

Donate Hygiene Items and Warm Adult Clothing to the Hub of Hope

In support of Veterans and Military Appreciation Week, the Office of Veteran Student Services, the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, Commuter Student Association and the Veterans Task Force joined forces to provide support for the Hub of Hope, a partnership between the City of Philadelphia, SEPTA, and Project HOME. The new Hub of Hope offers a safe place where people can enjoy a warm cup of coffee, take a shower and wash laundry, and speak to peers or case managers to begin the process of finding a permanent home. It creates even greater opportunities to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to treatment, medical care and ultimately stable, supportive housing. Drexel University will be continuing collection efforts through Jan. 7. Donations may be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement at 3210 Cherry St.

Donations may include:

• Travel sized toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap
• Toothpaste or toothbrushes
• Shaving cream or razors
• New Men's and Women's underwear
• Laundry detergent pods
• New towels and washcloths
• New/gently used men's or women's warm-weather clothing, such as sweatpants or sweatshirts, coats hats, scarves and gloves

Donate Gently Used Children’s Clothing and Items to Cradles to Crayons

Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive — at home, at school and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need. The kids we help don’t have shoes that fit. Or a coat warm enough to fend off winter winds. Or a backpack to carry their schoolbooks and supplies. Without these basics, they suffer. They don’t want to go to school. They have a hard time learning in school. They don’t go outside to play. They don’t feel valued. Drexel University will be continuing collection efforts through Jan. 7. Donations may be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement at 3210 Cherry St.

Donations may include:

• Clothing (youth sizes 0–14/16 and adult sizes small)
• New socks & underwear
• New pajamas (except 0-24 months will be accepted in like-new condition)
• Shoes, boots, sneakers, and sandals (infant/child sizes 0–13 and adult sizes 1–9)
• Heavy coats, lightweight jackets, winter hats, gloves/mittens
• Books (baby board books through grade 6)
• New arts and crafts
• New school supplies
• Baby supplies (baby carriers, diaper bags, tubs, etc.)
• Baby hygiene (infant washcloths, towels, shampoo, lotion, wipes, etc.)
• Infant bedding (bassinet and crib only)
• Diapers
• Baby equipment, especially strollers and car seats less than five years old
• New and like-new toys
• New batteries

Click here for a more detailed list of our Donation Guidelines.